A directory layout of node module

January 17, 2013

I've published a few node modules with npm.
Then, my own specification is like:

coffee-script can be used for most major scripts
CLI interface can be supported
Web interface can be supported

For these, I like a directory layout like:

./+-- bin
  |   `-- cli.js
  |-- index.js
  |-- app.coffee
  |-- lib
  |   |-- js
  |   |   |-- index.coffee
  |   |   |-- mymod.coffee
  |   |   |-- ...
  |   |
  |   `-- css
  |       |-- index.styl
  |       |-- ...
  |    
  `-- package.js

cli.js, which is a wrapper to invoke index.coffee in lib/js.

#!/usr/bin/env node
require("coffee-script");
require(require('path').join(require('fs').realpathSync(__dirname), '../lib/js/index.coffee'));

index.coffee, which is a wrapper of cil.js.

#!/usr/bin/env node
require(require("path").join(require("fs").realpathSync(__dirname), "bin/cli.js"));

app.coffee, which provides a webapp on express.

#!/usr/bin/env coffee
express = require "express"
jade    = require "jade"
stylus  = require "stylus"
mymod   = require "lib/js/mymod.coffee"
## Your configuraiton of express...

index.coffee, which is the actual entry point. Here is an example to require a local module.

mymod = require "./mymod"
console.log mymod.hello_message()

mymod.coffee, which is a module. At here, provides an object with a function to return a string.

module.exports =
  hello_message: -> "hello! from " + __filename

How about you? :)